Trump , greenland and rare earth minerals

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 A quick AI search reveals

Rare earth minerals are described as “rare” not because they are scarce in the Earth’s crust—they are relatively abundant—but because they are seldom found in large, economically concentrated deposits.

Six of the seven largest countries by land area—Russia, China, the United States, Brazil, Australia, and India—also rank among the top countries for rare earth reserves. This overlap exists partly because very large countries tend to contain diverse geological regions, increasing the likelihood that some areas have the specific rock types and tectonic histories required to form rare earth deposits, such as carbonatite intrusions, alkaline igneous complexes, and mineral-rich sands.

However, land area alone does not guarantee large reserves. Canada, despite being the second-largest country in the world, does not rank among the top rare earth reserve holders. Much of its territory consists of ancient, stable shield rock that is not especially favorable for major REE concentrations. In contrast, Vietnam—much smaller in size—ranks highly due to favorable geological conditions, including rare earth–rich ion-adsorption clay deposits formed through tropical weathering.

Therefore, while large size increases the probability of hosting rare earth minerals because of greater geological diversity, geology—not land area—is the determining factor.

China holds the largest reserves and dominates global production. Because its economy is state-directed rather than fully capitalist, China is able to mine and refine rare earth minerals at much lower cost, including subsidizing production and controlling supply chains. This has made U.S. domestic production uneconomical under free-market conditions, leaving the United States dependent on foreign rare earths.

The United States ranks around seventh in global reserves. Trump’s interest in Greenland is not primarily about rare earths. Although Greenland ranks eighth in estimated reserves—potentially nearly doubling U.S. holdings—acquiring it would not automatically strengthen U.S. rare earth supply. Greenland’s deposits are in remote, harsh environments, making extraction more expensive and technically challenging than U.S. deposits. Moreover, mining is only part of the equation; rare earths require complex processing and separation facilities, which are not yet established in either the U.S. or Greenland.

Any military attempt to seize Greenland would also violate NATO commitments, provoke Europe, and create enormous trade and diplomatic conflicts, far outweighing any potential gain from the rare earth deposits.

In short, rare earth minerals are important but geopolitical or military actions cannot be justified solely by REM availability; extraction, processing, and economic viability are far more decisive than simply controlling land with deposits.


The top 10 largest countries in the world by total land area:

  1. Russia – ~17.1 million km²

  2. Canada – ~9.98 million km²

  3. China – ~9.6 million km²

  4. United States – ~9.5 million km²

  5. Brazil – ~8.5 million km²

  6. Australia – ~7.7 million km²

  7. India – ~3.29 million km²

  8. Argentina – ~2.78 million km²

  9. Kazakhstan – ~2.72 million km²

  10. Algeria – ~2.38 million km²


The top 10 countries with the largest estimated rare earth mineral (REE) reserves in the world*, based on the most recent geological assessments (measured in rare earth oxide equivalent – REO):

  1. China – ~44 million metric tons (world’s largest by far)

  2. Brazil – ~21 million metric tons

  3. Vietnam – ~3.5 million metric tons (often listed near this position; some sources also place Vietnam higher depending on estimates)

  4. India – ~6.9 million metric tons

  5. Australia – ~5.7 million metric tons

  6. Russia – ~3.8 million metric tons

  7. United States – ~1.9 million metric tons

  8. Greenland (Denmark) – ~1.5 million metric tons

  9. Tanzania – ~890 000 metric tons

  10. South Africa – ~860 000 me



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